New dermatology, skin cancer center breaks ground in O'Fallon

Holland Construction Services has broke ground at 331 Regency Park Drive in O’Fallon, Ill., for the new construction of Metro East Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center, which is expected to be complete by summer 2021.

O’Fallon Mayor Herb Roach, who attended the recent groundbreaking ceremony, said he’s proud to welcome Metro East Dermatology to the O’Fallon business community.

“Through my experience in business and serving as mayor, there are typically three essential things needed to ensure a successful business. The first, a good building site that will support your growing business, the second is an excellent and capable group of people helping you construct that business, and most importantly, a dedicated and highly-skilled team of people leading that business. I have no doubt Metro East Dermatology will have tremendous success in our O’Fallon community and will attract business throughout our region,” Mayor Roach said.

Metro East Dermatology offers cutting-edge surgical treatment for skin cancer as well as specialized medical dermatology. Owner, Dr. Jamie McGinness, specializes in Mohs surgery, a highly-effective and precise treatment for most forms of skin cancer, with an unprecedented cure rate of up to 99 percent.

“We selected Holland because of their reputation of integrity, and because they have a tremendous amount of experience with similar medical facilities in this area,” said Dr. McGinness.

As one of the only fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon in the Metro East, he and his wife, Jackie McGinness, FNP, established their practice in Shiloh (Ill.) three years ago and decided it was time to build a new, permanent space as their business continues to grow.

“We feel very honored to have been selected for this project not only because it is an exciting and needed development for the community but because one of our own employees recently came here for treatment,” said Holland Construction president, Mike Marchal.

The 12,000-SF building is designed by ACI Boland Architects.

New office HQ with a view for Arcturis

Renovations are underway on new office headquarters for Arcturis, a St. Louis-based national design firm, who plans to move to the 13th floor of the former Peabody Plaza building, which now serves as a focal point of the new Gateway Plaza at 701 Market St. in downtown St. Louis.

Arcturis partnered with Tarlton Corp. to serve as construction manager of the 11,500-SF, build-out project - adding to the award-winning portfolio of the two, women-owned businesses.

The dynamic duo previously collaborated on the build-out of the new Spire corporate headquarters which earned LEED Gold for Commercial Interiors certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and was recognized with an Edwin F. Guth Award for interior lighting design from the Illuminating Engineering Society.

Slated for completion by the end of this year, the renovations and tenant build-out include the demolition of existing office space; installation of new partitions; high-end, industrial-look finishes and MEPFP design-build enhancements.

An impressive glass-wall storefront, fabricated and installed by Missouri Valley Glass, welcomes employees and visitors into the office suite. The storefront features one-half-inch-thick clear tempered glass sections situated within a span that is 9 feet tall and 22 feet long. The entry doors are flanked by two wide sections on each side, with sleek, brushed stainless hardware and trim completing the modern design.

In addition, the office space incorporates a wellness area featuring a lounge and cafeteria, as well as a “light laboratory” that Arcturis design teams will use for fixture testing and to simulate different light conditions in project designs for clients.

The Tarlton project team includes Joe Scarfino, project director; Diane Grimsley, senior project manager; Beth Barton, superintendent; and Joe Carr, cost engineer.

KWK Architects shares evolving residence hall design trends

Residence hall design will evolve to reflect the current pandemic condition, according to the student housing design experts at KWK Architects.  

As universities and colleges look to design new residence halls after the current global health crisis, they will be challenged with how to safely house students while still providing for their social and academic development.

Social interactions have taken on a new normal – social distancing, limited-size gatherings and a responsibility to act in a manner that does not make someone else sick.

“Safety and security will be paramount for future students and their families, likely resulting in a desire for single-occupancy bedrooms in residence halls. Single bedroom units can provide a safe haven – a personal retreat where students can relax away from others,” said Sara Koester, principal at KWK Architects.

Koester stresses, though, that this configuration may be too isolating for a student away from home for the first time. Many residence halls are designed specifically to house freshmen; and studies have shown that freshmen students in double bedrooms with a roommate have a higher rate of retention. 

A “next best” bedroom design that will be considered is a double-bedroom designed as a “paired-single” unit – two singles side-by-side – with each occupant having furniture, a closet-operable window on “their side” and only necessarily shared elements, like a corridor door and mechanical unit/thermostat centrally located. The bedroom shape would be wide and shallow, allowing beds, desks and closets to be located further apart.

“The two sides can be marked with floor patterns and paint finishes to distinguish the two zones within the room. The two roommates will function as a ‘family unit’ since they are indeed sharing a room. These resident students will have experienced the pandemic in their formative years and can rely on their prior experiences to understand the importance of appropriate space boundaries,” said Koester.

New bathroom designs may favor a clustered single-use bath arrangement where private-use bathrooms - each containing a toilet, lavatory (sink) and shower - are located together. When grouped with a community lavatory area, this offers opportunities for socializing while still providing for privacy.

Two entrance/exit points to the facilities will allow for a one-way traffic pattern to be implemented when environmental health conditions warrant. The common lavatory area, with ample space between fixtures, will allow for ease of hand washing as well as a chance to chat with other residents while maintaining social distancing. New staff training and procedures will be required to ensure a constant (or at least much more frequent) cleaning cycle to safeguard the safety of all building users.

Social spaces, such as floor lounges and studies, will be sized and organized to allow for social distancing with distinct “stations” at appropriate intervals. Areas can be demarcated with floor patterns.

“Kitchen facilities should ideally be arranged for one-way circulation and appliances spaced to permit multiple work areas with adequate buffers between. Hand-washing stations should be ample and sufficiently spaced with accessories at each station,” said Koester.

“It has always been important to provide a variety of social spaces that allow for a range of activities – quiet to active and small group to large group – but now residence halls should consider including single-person study spaces where a resident may go to focus on studies or simply decompress in a private, safe zone.” 

Circulation spaces in residence halls will need to evolve. Entrances to buildings will need to be wider and feature multiple single entrance doors to avoid compressing residents as they enter the building. Lobbies should be large enough to allow for pedestrian flow to the elevators or stairs while social distancing, and elevators should be sized to accommodate multiple occupants at opposite corners.

Additional elevators may be needed to safely address reduced elevator capacity due to social distancing restrictions. Corridors will need to be of ample width and preferably feature small alcoves at regular intervals off the main hallway, with views to the exterior and perhaps a bench, that can serve as places to “step out” of the way and not be in the traffic flow. Doors to bedrooms should be located in recessed pockets off the corridor allowing one to transition into the main corridor flow. Air flow exchange and mechanical systems may need to be reevaluated with more frequent filter changes.

“While the program for outdoor spaces in residence hall design has always been important, this will take on a heightened importance in providing places where residents can go for relaxation and space-distant socializing, with individual areas articulated in the design of the hardscape, landscape and outdoor furniture. Individual outdoor activities, like hammocking and swings, can offer places to unwind, while outdoor terraces and patios can offer places for small groups to safely meet while social distancing,” said Koester.

With careful and thoughtful planning, residence hall design can balance environmental health concerns and living preferences of students and their families while fostering community and providing a nurturing environment.

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About KWK Architects: Founded in 2013 by five architects with a combined 120 years of higher education knowledge and experience, KWK Architects partners with colleges and universities across the United States to create innovative and inspiring places that enhance campus life. Areas of expertise include student housing and dining, and academic and science/technology spaces. KWK Architects has completed more than $1 billion in construction-valued projects since its founding and currently employs a growing staff of 15 at its headquarters in Webster Groves, Mo.

Forsyth Pointe construction kicks off in Clayton

Construction of Forsyth Pointe, a mixed-use development in the central business district of Clayton, Mo., is underway.

The US Capital Development project includes two Class-A office towers, street-level retail and connected parking and will add nearly 1 million SF of prime space in the heart of Clayton, Mo.

As construction manager, McCarthy Building Companies is overseeing all construction work, including the delivery of self-perform concrete services on the cast-in-place building foundations, elevator cores and parking structure. The steel-framed glass structures will rest atop a post-tensioned concrete-framed parking structure.

“Forsyth Pointe will be a wonderful addition to the Clayton skyline and community,” said Michelle Harris, Mayor of the City of Clayton.

The 10-story, 265,000-SF east tower will occupy the corner of Forsyth Blvd. and Meramec Ave. And the 8-story, 210,000-SF west tower will reside at Brentwood Blvd. and Forsyth Blvd. More than 20,000 SF of street-level retail space will enliven the development’s street presence.

“The development will add prime office space and innovative retail space, increasing street vitality and the pedestrian experience on a prominent corner across from Shaw Park—one of our city’s crown jewels," Mayor Harris said.

A 7-level parking structure will connect both buildings and extend 2.5 levels underground. At the top level of the parking structure, a 45,000-SF open-air garden terrace will serve as a signature amenity and be available for public events.

Other planned amenities include a 10,000-SF fitness center and a ground-floor arts and entertainment venue.

“We’re honored to partner with US Capital Development and the design team to bring this incredible new development to life in one of the most desirable locations in St. Louis County,” said Jared Hites, vice president of operations at McCarthy.

From the project’s early design phase, McCarthy initiated an integrated virtual design and construction (VDC) process with the owner, designer and trade partners to drive efficiencies throughout the project. This includes the use of cloud-based building information modeling (BIM) collaboration platforms accessible by all team members.

Specific VDC applications include model-based design review, model-based field layout, 3D building systems coordination, laser scanning of as-built conditions and aerial drone photogrammetry to monitor and survey construction progress.

Forsythe Pointe is designed by Christner Architects (design architect, architect of record and landscape architect) and CEDERGREEN, LLC (design architect).

Other team members include Alper Audi (structural engineering), Stock & Associates (civil engineering), G&W Engineering (mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering) and Randy Burkett Lighting Design (lighting design).

The project is expected to be complete in summer 2022.  

Bond Architects receives WBE Certification

Bond Architects, a nationally-recognized St. Louis architecture and interior design firm, has been officially certified by the State of Missouri’s Office of Equal Opportunity as a Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE).

Since its inception in 1992, Bond Architects has been committed to promoting and supporting diversity in the A/E/C field. The firm has partnered with a wide range of MBE/DBE/WBE firms throughout its history and values long-standing relationships with diverse professional service firms and vendors.

“The Bond Architects team appreciates and understands the value diverse suppliers bring to the table and is honored to be a part of this community. We are thankful to have obtained our WBE certification and hope that it will also benefit our partners and associates for their continued growth and success," said Susan Pruchnicki, principal-In-charge at Bond Architects.

As a woman-owned business with 80 percent of their employees consisting of female architects and staff in 2020, Bond Architects prioritized obtaining an official WBE certification to not only solidify its commitment to diversity, but also sto upport clients in their mission to inspire inclusion, connection and collaboration in their professional service firms.

“Having our WBE certification not only allows us to better meet the needs of our clients but it also affirms our unwavering commitment to be a place of equal opportunity and employment in an industry that has historically lacked significant involvement of professional women,” Pruchnicki said.

Both firm partners, Susan Pruchnicki and Art Bond, remain actively involved with the firm and its day-to-day operations.

Bond Architects is located at 222 South Central Avenue, Suite 501, in St. Louis, Mo. For more information about Bond Architects’ commitment to diversity and its projects and services, visit BondArchitectsInc.com.